GROWING up on the Coral Coast, Mere Nailiko, 21, considers her home in Malevu Village a paradise.
Frolicking on the beach, helping her family pick seafood from the lagoon and enjoying the turquoise waters was her everyday routine since childhood.
Unfortunately the daily drone of the ocean that once lulled her to sleep and often helped clear her mind when dealing with stressful situations is now the cause of serious concern to Ms Nailiko and the close to 200 people that call Malevu home.
Once upon a time, the words “climate change” were foreign and unreal. They were words used to describe events that were happening to Pacific island neighbours such as Kiribati and faraway places.
Over the past few years, all that has changed.
The people of Malevu are now starting to see and feel the effects of climate change happening right before their eyes. Ms Nailiko said the changes were small in the beginning but over time, the rise in sea level had got residents seeking assistance from the government.
“Apart from the rise in sea levels, we have had unusually high tides over the past three days,” the Fiji National University student said.
“Water which did not even reach the stones on the beach now come very close to our homes.
“It gets very dangerous for people who are living very close to the sea.
“We had requested for a sea wall to be built to stop the threat from the rising sea level and surging tides when government officials visited the village last month.
“They have informed us that we will have a sea wall in this area soon.”
Ms Nailiko explained that once a topic of amusement around the tanoa, climate change is rapidly becoming a real issue that is discussed with urgency and seriousness because the issue can no longer be ignored in their village.
“A sea wall was built in the village before but it wasn’t very effective and the people have seen how the rising sea, bigger tides and strong swells have affected our shoreline.
“They have seen how the water reaches our homes during high tide and how the surging sea has caused some of the soil to erode.
“We are hopeful for a solution soon.”
Malevu is situated close to one of the country’s most popular and multi-award-winning family retreats, the Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort and Spa at Korotogo near Sigatoka.
Elders from the village say the name Malevu is associated with the manner in which fish are trapped inside the lagoon. The village is part of Conua District in the province of Nadroga-Navosa.
